


Triptych

by feygrim, Melime



Category: Luke Cage (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Getting Together, Multi, Polyamory, Post-Season/Series 01 Finale, Threesome - F/F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-08
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-05-03 22:28:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14578986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feygrim/pseuds/feygrim, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melime/pseuds/Melime
Summary: While trying to save Luke from jail, Claire and Misty navigate their feelings for him, and for each other.





	Triptych

After everything that happened, all those deaths, all that violence, all the innocent people getting hurt, Luke Cage’s name was finally cleared. Not without some resistance, there were those in law enforcement that couldn’t stand the idea of gifted people walking around saving people’s lives, and if that person happened to be a strong black man that they couldn’t shoot down, well, that meant he had to deal with more than one type of hateful bigot who thought that people like him were less than human.

Still, Luke had Misty Knight on his side, and she was never one to just allow injustice to slide, much to the contrary. From the moment she first suspected that Luke was being framed, it was only a matter of time before she cleared his name, even if that meant having to work while still recovering from an injury that almost costed her arm. It was just who she was.

So Luke Cage was a free man, but Carl Lucas came back to haunt him once again. That Mariah wouldn’t help him, despite their deal, came as a surprise to no one, not even Luke, not really. It was too much of a long shot from the start, even though he hoped it could all be over. Things would never be too easy, not for him. And Mariah was the kind of person who would never help anyone else unless she had an agenda, and she had no more use for Luke Cage.

After all, Mariah was a politician, and one thing that every politician knew was that you only have to keep your word if the other party can prove it and has leverage over you. In Luke’s case, neither applied, and he was a threat that was being neutralized while she still kept her hands mostly clean. There was no reason for her to help him, much to the contrary, having him shipped away was in her best interest.

Only two people had his back then, Misty and Claire, and there wasn’t much they could do. A wrongfully convicted black man who escaped from jail would have a hard enough time under normal circumstances to be able to clear his name, and even then there was no guarantee that the wrongful incarceration time would count to get him off the jailbreak charge with time served - it was funny how that worked, you could be unlawfully detained by the State and still be punished for trying to get away from that situation, kind of how some people were charged with the sole crime of resisting arrest, as if they didn’t have the right to resist the abusive use of force by the State -, but those weren’t normal circumstances.

People wanted to feel safe again, as they did before the gifted were known, or at least that was the bullshit argument everyone seemed to be using these days. Of course, people never felt truly safe, and each place and time has a group or several groups of individuals to blame for that, and more often than not people are willing to burn them to the stakes, just so that maybe they’ll feel better about themselves. Depending on who you asked, people would mostly think that the gifted should be controlled, arrested, or put down. Not many people outside of their own seemed to remember that the gifted were just people, after all, and still had as many rights as anyone else.

Black, gifted, escaped convict, that was a recipe for disaster, a dangerous combination that was never going to end well for him. Those intangible prejudices that kept the system going could be more dangerous than bullets even if you weren’t bullet proof, or rather, it was that system that made sure bullets were fired in the first place, by people who weren’t afraid to get caught, because they were shielded from the consequences.

This time, there was no loose threat on the city that he had to take care of, and he was tired of always having to fight and run and now even dodging bullets that could actually hurt him. This time, he wouldn’t run away. Not because he trusted the system to release him, not because he believed Misty would be able to prove his innocence, but because the consequences of not resisting seemed less dire, to him and to people around him, than those of continuing to run and hide.

\---

Foggy agreed to help because of course he did, but he couldn’t work miracles, and the court would still need evidence, evidence Claire didn’t have the first clue as to how to obtain. Stryker wouldn’t confess, much less provide proof of what he did, so they either had to find someone who had that evidence, or find it for themselves, and needle in a haystack didn’t even begin to cover how that would be like, one specific grain of corn in all the crops in the country was more like it, and they couldn’t be certain of what they were looking for or if it even existed.

Finding a way to relieve Luke’s intracranial pressure despite his impenetrable skin was somehow easier than unraveling this conspiracy, but then again, one was her area, and the other wasn’t. For the success of this mission, she depended on someone who knew how to look for evidence, and what would be admissible in court.

There was only one person that she knew that would know how to do that and was willing to help Luke. She and Detective Misty Knight didn’t start off well, but the circumstances had brought them together, and saving someone’s life would usually predispose them to want to help you, especially if your objectives aligned with theirs. And whether Claire wanted it or not, they would have to work together on that one, because saving Luke would require more than one person would be capable of doing. Whatever differences they still had - which weren’t that many at this point, since Claire risked her life to get to Luke and Misty and then saved Misty’s arm as well as her life - would have to be left behind.

\---

Misty had to admit that she wasn’t having much luck with her research. So far, she couldn’t find any holes in the case against Luke, and she couldn’t just go to Georgia to look for evidence for a closed case from years ago. This wasn’t a normal case, and couldn’t be solved in the normal way, but she wasn’t sure how much was within her reach. No one could plan the perfect crime, that was an universal truth, but some people were lucky enough to have evidence disappear or simply never be found, despite the best efforts of the people working the case. But she wouldn’t give up. There was so much she could still try, even if she hadn’t thought about what those things could be yet, and making justice prevail was too important to give up, no matter how hard things got.

One could say that she was doing this because she had gotten involved with Luke, even if what happened between them ended before it even got a chance to start. However, that couldn’t be further away from the truth. She cared about Luke, although she didn’t think they could work well together anymore, but this wasn’t directly about Luke, or herself. It was about making sure justice was done, by not allowing anyone to walk away after committing a crime, and by not allowing any innocent to be wrongfully convicted. She still believed in those things, believed in the idea of justice, despite the world having tried to convince her of how rare and fleeting that was. It was what made her a good cop, but it was also what robbed her of her peace of mind a long time ago.

She needed help, but no one in the department was willing to help, not in the way she needed. Some of them simply didn’t care, while others thought that by simply clearing Luke of the cases happening in their jurisdiction, they had done their job, and that that was enough. She couldn’t really blame them, but she did. She never bought into the idea that law enforcement was a job like any other, that they should just do what was in their job description and that would be it. They worked in the service of justice, and justice couldn’t stop at state lines.

She needed to find a way to help Luke, and soon, before either he did something stupid and made the situation even worse, or someone realized that having one of the gifted as a sitting duck inside a prison made him a better target than any of the other ones.

\---

Claire was the one to come up with a plan, and the one to come to Misty. She was more used to this whole superhero crap, although she didn’t want to. If it were up to her, she would move to some place far away and never have anything to do with any of them, but she couldn’t just leave Luke to fend for himself, it would go against her nature. She would never think about it on these terms, but perhaps she had a lot in common with those vigilante types. She too cared about other people, to the point of not always doing what was best for her, even if she didn’t want to admit it. Of course, she would never walk around looking for trouble and fighting crime, but she fought injustice just the same, just in a different way.

Claire’s plan was simple as a concept, but hard to execute. Luckily, she knew a lawyer, a private investigator, and a detective, all of whom would either have an interest in helping her, helping Luke, or both. After that, it was just a matter of putting her plan into motion, hoping for a lucky break, and making sure Luke knew they were coming for him.

\---  
The night before the rescue, Misty was going over it in her head, the scenes playing out as if she were there. Nothing would disturb her, except…..the smell of Chinese food? The grease and oil that didn’t fit in her scenario snapped her out of her thoughts. She blinked and a big yellow smiley face appeared before her eyes. Another smile appeared before her, Claire looking eerily similar to the bag. “That’s creepy,” Misty deadpanned.

“Don’t try to play it off all cool-like; It’s okay to admit you were startled, just a bit,” Claire teased, pulling the boxes out of the bag and setting them on the table. She laughed when a telltale growl came from Misty’s direction. “I’m gonna eat all this without you if you just stand there.” She settled on the couch with some chopsticks and box of lo mein, instantly devouring the food. 

Misty watched her for a second, marveling at how at-home Claire looked there, sitting on her old, worn couch. But her hunger effectively distracted her from her thoughts and she joined the night nurse. “Wow, are you stalking me? You have all my faves here.” She picked up the box of General Tso’s and rice and couldn’t help but moan as she took a bite. Claire laughed again. God, she had a beautiful laugh. Oh my god, what the hell was that?!

They ate in comfortable silence, like they've been friends for years and didn't need to always fill the silence with irrelevant babble. 

"So how was Luke in the sack?"

Well, there went that atmosphere. Misty coughed, almost choking on her chicken. She drank some Coca Cola before answering. "What?!" Very eloquent, Misty. Well done. 

Claire’s eyes glittered with amusement. "I can’t help but be a little curious, what sex is like with the Power Man; You’ve got a leg up on me and I see no harm in sharing; Aren't we friends?" 

"Oh no, we are not friends. You," and Misty waves her finger at Claire, "are a troublemaker. I don't make friends with trouble makers." 

"Hey, I don't make trouble. I just...follow it." Claire shrugs and smirks. And jesus christ, does Misty wanna kiss that smirk right off her face. "Well, if we’re not friends, how do you feel about being lovers?" And there she goes again, sliding into her personal space like it's the easiest thing and as much Misty wants to mirror her, something inside her pulls her back.

"Wh-what?" 

Claire frowns then ducks her head as if embarrassed and leans back, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Shit, sorry! I thought....I felt like we had a vibe and I followed it...I guess I was wrong. Sorry, I made you uncomfortable, I'll leave." She grabs her coat and purse and stands up when Misty grabs her hand. 

Misty takes a deep breath and looks Claire in the eyes. "You're not wrong." All the warning bells were ringing in her head but she ignored them. "Please don't leave."

Claire sat down and waited. 

Misty took another deep breath. "I am attracted to you and yeah, I felt the chemistry. You're beautiful, level-headed, smart, stubborn, headstrong, and you are so..so..steadfast. You honestly amaze me. I don’t know if I'm in love with you or if I want to be you." 

Claire huffed out a laugh, shyly ducking her head. "But..."

"But...Luke." Misty sighed. "Aren't you two a thing? And don't tell me you aren't, I've seen the way y'all look at each other." 

"I mean, I guess. We haven't had time to talk about. One kiss and he was gone," Claire said. "But I've seen the way he looks at you and vice versa. And well, I like you both. I think we could make it work." 

"The three of us together you mean?" Misty said, skepticism lining her tone. 

"Yeah, why not? Luke is bullet-proof. A polyamorous relationship is normal in comparison, and it’s been done before, so why not us?" Claire took Misty's hand gently. "It won't hurt to try. Do you want to?" 

"...To be honest, I've been wanting to kiss you since you bought the takeout," Misty answered, chuckling. 

"Good to know the way to your heart is through your stomach," Claire teased as she leaned in. 

Misty let go when their lips touched, relaxing completely and falling into the comfort that Claire bought. She could lose all control and Claire would be there with her, every step of the way. Her hands got greedy and they pulled Claire close, practically onto her lap. Her lips opened to let Claire in, letting the Latina take the lead for a while, her thighs quivering as Claire grinded on them. There was nothing but moans and grunts filling the air, the couch their only witness. It had been a while since it had seen some action. Misty whined when Claire pulled away, but her lungs were grateful. 

"Cute," Claire giggled breathlessly. 

"Not cute," Misty mumbled, blushing when Claire just kissed her forehead in response. They just made out like a couple of teenagers and she was blushing over a damn forehead kiss!? Her stomach reminded her that all that physical activity made her hunger worse. Man, her body didn't give her a break! Claire passed her a container of dumplings with a smile and Misty couldn't help but give her one back. As she ate, a thought came to her head and she couldn't help but laugh and shake her head.

"What?" 

"I'm wondering how we're gonna tell Luke all this and what he's gonna say, if our plan goes right." 

"It will. Oh lord, I can imagine his reaction now." 

"Sweet Christmas!" They said it in unison and laughed wildly, falling all over each other. 

Misty filed this scene away in her head, leaving no detail alone. She never wanted to forget this. 

\---

Claire had a good feeling about all of this. Foggy had called her earlier, and shared as much information as he could from just outside a courtroom. Between what Misty had, and what Jessica was able to discover, he believed he had enough to get Luke out, and was rushing the petition, in hopes of getting the most favorable judge before that judge retired in a few days.

Claire didn’t even pretend to understand more than half of what he said. Foggy was so excited that he had finally found a legal loophole to possibly get Luke out that he was talking faster than she could keep up with, and that didn’t even begin to cover all the legal terminology. He did warn her that it wasn’t a sure deal, something that was still being discussed in courts, and as such the results depended on what judge they would get, which was why he had to move fast, before they lost the only judge that would possibly buy their argument.

Despite the long shot, it was hard not to keep her hopes up. If everything worked out, Luke would be out in a few days, and the relief she felt was unimaginable. She missed him, they hadn’t been apart for all that long, but she missed him dearly. He was the one with impenetrable skin, but she still felt as if she could keep him safe in her arms.

There was only one person who would understand how she was feeling, one person who would share those feelings, and as luck would have it, it was just about time that person went out for lunch.

\---

“Slow down,” Misty said. “Are you telling me this might actually work?”

Claire nodded excitedly. “Foggy said if we get the right judge, our chances are great.”

Misty stared at her plate - some random dinner food, she hadn’t paid that much attention to the menu, she wouldn’t have that much time before getting back to work, and she knew Claire had something important to say, even if she hadn’t known what at that point - too much on her mind to focus on any one thing.

“I can’t believe it. When I started looking into this, it seemed we would never get a chance, that he would never get out. I can’t believe this worked so fast.”

Claire reached across the table to hold her hand in a gesture of comfort. She understood what Misty was feeling, she herself was still dealing with all of this.

“I told you Foggy was good. Now don’t ask me to explain how he’ll do it. Something to do with the illegal experiments that were performed on him. And some UN regulations? Which I’m not sure we accepted or not, but somehow, some judges use it to... “ She stopped. “Ok, I give up, I have no idea what I’m talking about.”

Despite the tension she was feeling, Misty laughed. “It’s a good thing you decided to be a nurse and not a lawyer then.”

“Hey! Figuring out how to medicate a wall of muscles with skin held together tighter than diamonds, that I can do. Applications of international law regarding human rights to our criminal justice system? Way out of my paygrade.”

“Fair enough,” Misty said, her laughter only then starting to die out. “You are the most amazing nurse I know, and this,” she shook her arm, calling attention to her scar, even though it was covered by her clothes, “is the biggest proof I have.”

Claire blushed. “Flatterer.”

“I’m only telling the truth. No one can come even close to what you can do.”

“Let me tell you a secret, it’s the nurses who do all the work in a hospital. If you have a bad doctor, usually the nurses will catch that before any real damage is done, but if you have a bad nurse, the patient’s dead.”

“So, like we work the streets but top brass always gets all the credit, even though they did nothing other than boss us around and never even knew we went behind their back and did what we thought was best?” Misty asked.

Claire laughed. “Something like that. Maybe it’s a constant in all professions, the people who really get the job done are the ones who never get any credit for it.”

Misty leaned on the table. “I would be willing to give you all the credit you’re due. But, unfortunately, I have to get back to work. The way things are at the station right now, I might get fired if I even breathe the wrong way. Can I meet you tonight?”

Claire smiled at her, returning the flirtatious stance. “Sure.” Then she remembered. “Wait, no,” she said, closing her eyes in frustration. “I have a shift tonight, I won’t be out until tomorrow afternoon.”

Misty tried not to sound disappointed. “That’s fine, we’ll find another time.”

Claire held her hand again. “I’ll see if I can pass by your place before my shift. We really should talk more about all of this.”

Misty nodded. “Deal.”

\---

Her phone buzzed furiously, the messages coming one after the other in quick succession. Claire knew it had to be news about Luke, nothing else would cause this much commotion. She read the first one, ‘We got the right judge,’ it read, followed by fifteen or so exclamation marks. She didn’t even need to check the sender to know it was Foggy.

Before replying, she checked the next few messages. It was rambling in text form, talking about the judge and the adventure Foggy had to finish the petition in time and the shenanigans involved in getting it distributed to the right judge. How he managed to write so fast and make so little sense was beside her, but the important part was simple enough to extract from it. Luke’s chances had just gone up from ‘minimal’ to ‘probable’, not as good as being sure he would be out, but surely an improvement after all the worry these past few days. She couldn’t wait to break the news to Misty.

Soon the only worry they would have in their minds would be how to approach the subject of a poly relationship with Luke, which was certainly a step up from not knowing if he would survive jail.

It was funny, they were both ready to come up with a plan to break him out, but in the end, all it took was someone on their side that truly understood the system and knew how to take as much advantage of it as possible to help an underdog. If it weren’t for Foggy, Luke would probably have to spend the rest of his life either as a fugitive or as one the many innocents trapped forever simply because procedure was more important than the truth or respecting people’s fundamental rights. If only she knew how to thank him for it, other than sewing his best friend back together - if you could even call them that, after all the fighting between Foggy and Matt.

For once, everything was working out just fine. If she didn’t have to work that night, she might have brought a bottle of champagne to Misty’s house just so they could celebrate.

Although perhaps they could find other ways to celebrate.

\---

Reading the text Claire sent her popped a bubble of hope and joy inside her. She couldn’t even text back, she was shaking too much. ‘Breathe, Knight, breathe’. She closed her eyes and centered herself again, swallowing down her feelings so she could focus on her work. Leaving the text on read was enough, Claire of all people would understand. 

“Knight...Knight!” Misty’s head snapped up from her pile of paperwork. Worst part about being cop, if she was gonna be honest. 

“Uh, yes, Chief?” 

“I appreciate you working hard to get some over time but I need my best detective at her best. Get something to eat, some fresh air, take a break. That’s an order. You look terrible.” 

Misty chuckled. The paperwork could wait. “Yes, sir.” She grabbed her coat and purse. Exiting the precinct, she couldn’t help but smile at the person greeting her as she stepped down the stairs. Claire had the effect of a champagne bottle cork popping when it came to her feelings. “Well, hello, stranger.” 

“Hello to you too, stranger,” Claire said, easily walking in step with her. “I was thinking how about we go to my place, since we already went to yours? I don’t usually cook since I don’t have time but my mom’s taught me a thing or two. And...I have time now.” 

Misty’s stomach grumbled as if on cue. “Sounds perfect,” Misty replied, blushing. 

\--

Luke didn’t know what was happening.

Well, that wasn’t entirely sure. He was pretty sure that Claire was still trying to find a way to get him out. He even had an idea that maybe Misty was helping her. Which incidentally made him wonder how they were getting along now, he hoped better, for no other reason than because he cared about both of them and thought they would be safer if they looked out for each other.

The truth was, he had feelings for both of them, although he didn’t think it was fair to them, and would have to talk, at least to Claire, once he got out. Of course, this was a problem for the future, it was hard to think about that when he didn’t even know when he would be able to see them again.

The point was, he didn’t know what they were doing to help him. He knew something was being done, but they couldn’t keep him posted, and it wasn’t as if he could just look up his case whenever he wanted. In there, all he could do was to stay out of trouble, and wait, hoping that the people that cared for him out there would be able to give him his life back.

That waiting was what really got to him. He just wished he could talk to them, know how they were doing, if they were well, and how hopeful he should be of getting out of there. He knew it wasn’t that easy, that they couldn’t just go there and talk to him, especially when they didn’t have yet all the details in this conspiracy, but he wished it could be easy. All he wanted was for something to be simple, at least one thing.

And he wished his feelings could be simple too.

\---

The plan to fill their stomachs was….delayed, to say the least. The air between the two women when they entered Claire’s apartment was heavy in unsaid words but they filled it with their bodies and their breaths, communicating in a language that needed nothing more than that. 

Not to say there weren’t a few bumps along the way. “Ow, careful, this way,” Claire laughed. 

“You have such a beautiful laugh,” Misty murmured, letting Claire lead her. It was so easy to lose control in her presence that she even said cheesy shit like that. 

“You have a beautiful smile,” Claire replied, expertly opening her door from behind her. She leaned in for another kiss, twirling Misty around by her waist and they dropped on the bed. It was a lot of fumbling and giggling from then on as they tried to strip each other at the same, realized it wouldn’t work and decided to strip separately, throwing their clothes where ever. Out of sight, out of mind. 

Misty kissed down Claire’s body, starting from her neck down, relishing in the moans that Claire emitted, getting wet just from hearing her scream when she sucked on her nipples. “Fuck, you’re killing me here!” 

“And you’re a tease,” Claire whined, shaking her hair out of her face to glare at Misty, though it was half-hearted from the dark lust in her eyes. 

“I call it foreplay but look at you, Miss Impatient,” Misty said, continuing her journey along Claire’s body, only a bit faster than before. “Claire, oh fuck,” she groaned out when the nurse took the initiative to grind their hips together, squeezing her butt in an attempt to get even closer.   
“Any closer and we’ll fuse,” Claire noted with a chuckle. 

“What?” 

“Fuse, you know from that show? Steven Universe?” 

Misty lifted her head up to look at Claire in disbelief. “You’re talking about some kids show while we’re having sex?” 

“Well, I didn’t expect you to comment on it,” Claire said, laughing. 

“And here I thought I was doing a good job, distracting you; I obviously need to work harder,” Misty said, shaking her head and smiling. 

“Show me what you got,” Claire said with a wink. Misty grinned and dived back in. 

\---

Luke couldn’t stand that anymore, the wait was proving to be too much. The first time he was in prison, he didn’t have anyone outside, anyone that cared about him, or that he cared about. Things were much simpler then, when he had no hope of ever getting out, no one he had to be back to, no life he had to get back to.

As it were, there was hope that he would one day be free again, real hope. And hope kept him going, but was also a poison. It was hard not to let that same hope torture him while he waited. He could be there a few months, or several years. If it were up to some people, he was sure he would be felt to rot there, with or without proper legal cause.

He wanted to call Claire and ask her again how things were going, but it wasn’t fair on her. She was doing everything she could for him, and didn’t need to feel like she wasn’t doing enough because the unfair system that put him there wasn’t too keen on letting him out. As much as he was despairing over how long he had been there, that wasn’t on her, and he didn’t want to leave any room for her to think that it was.

He was being eaten by his thoughts when two guards came up, calling him. They didn’t tell him why, they never did, but there was a tension in the air that had him worried. Of course, one alternative to having him incarcerated his entire life was to make that life much shorter. Not that it seemed like they would be able to kill him, but that in and of itself wouldn’t stop them from trying. And yet, he couldn’t refuse to go with them, as that would be causing trouble, and could hurt his case and everything that Claire was doing to get him out, so he would have to go, and just be careful.

\---

Foggy couldn’t believe that actually worked. It was a long-shot at best, and at worse the type of thing that made people mock human rights advocates that worked with the prison system. Of course they had to be in the one first world country that was behind all the rest when it came to the relation between human rights and the prison system, and was still pretty far behind when it came to all other human rights that would be expected of a nation in this point of development, but it was also a country with considerable judicial freedom, and that wasn’t always a bad thing.

It was almost pure luck that he saw that article on the right of resistance, but that ended up being just the idea that he needed. Maybe if Luke had been in a regular prison, it wouldn’t have worked. Actually, it almost surely wouldn’t have worked. The right of resistance to arrest and detainment as a fundamental right was decades away of arriving to their system, if that. But things changed a little when it wasn’t framed as the right to avoid fair punishment for a crime given after due process, so in a way, the fact that Luke was used in a scientific experiment was the best thing that could have happened to his case.

It worked like this, the state had a duty to protect the well-being of its citizens, and couldn’t violate their fundamental rights except in the cases allowed by law. Arresting someone was fine, if it followed due process, but a person when arrested wouldn’t lose all their rights, just a few of them. And so, the state could restrain someone, deny them their freedom, but not to issue cruel or unusual punishment, even if the state, in that case, happened to be represented by a private held prison. Once Luke’s life and well-being were unjustly put in danger under circumstances not relating to his sentence, he had a fundamental right to resist the threat to his life and health, applying the same limitations as usual self-defense, and that meant the right to run away from the people who were hurting him and hiding from them while he couldn’t be sure that the threat to him was over.

So, all that Foggy had to do was framed it just right for the one judge he was able to find that seemed to be open to this theory. Easy. Except for the part that it was a terrible idea that had very little chance of actually working. He could feel it as he was presenting the case. Supporting something in theory and being willing to rule according to that theory were two different things sometimes, especially when the person benefiting from that ruling had abilities. The entire case was a mess and Foggy was panicking so much that he didn’t even hear what the ruling was.

Or rather, he heard it, but didn’t process it.

Because there was no way that he had just won that case. Well, mostly.

Time served wasn’t as good as a complete acquittal, but it still meant that Luke got to go home, as soon as the ruling was processed and sent to the prison.

If Foggy had thought better of it, he would have called Claire and let her know that everything was fine and that his plan worked. As it were, he was so focused on getting everything expedited that he simply forgot. It was hours of work before Luke was finally set to be released, and Foggy went to the prison with a copy of his release papers just in case. He couldn’t wait to give the man himself the good news. All of his work had finally paid off.

\---

To his surprise, the guards weren’t taking him somewhere secluded to kill him. Instead, they took him to the prison lobby and just… released him. Not quite like that, of course. There were some vague explanations, and his clothes being returned, and all the regular things one would expect when being released. But it felt so sudden that it was as if they had opened his cell door and let him go without a word.

It was everything that he was hoping for, and it still took him by surprise.

“Hi, there. I’m Foggy Nelson, your lawyer. Claire might have mentioned me,” Foggy said extending his hand.

Luke just stared at him until he put his hand down, mistaking Luke’s confusion for something else.

“I… What just happened?”

“Oh, it’s a long story. I may end up in the history books. Well, law history books. At any rate, this case will be studied by everyone… that has an interest in human rights in the prison system. Maybe.”

Luke was just as confused as before. “And that means?”

“Oh, right, sorry. You’re free to go. With time served. Not as good as it could have been, but far better than I thought things would go. You were a tricky case.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes! I’m actually here to make sure they would release you as they should. You never know with these private prisons, sometimes the paperwork gets lost for a lot longer than it should. Oh, and to give you a ride, if you want.”

There was too much in Luke’s mind for him to process it all, but all that mattered was that Claire really did it, she got him out.

“I have to see Claire.”

“That’s great, I’ll drop you off. I actually forgot to warn her that you were getting out today, but I told her I was taking this to court, so she won’t be too surprised to see you. She has been worried sick about you. Oh, and you should talk to detective Knight too, she helped your case a lot.”

\---

It was around lunch time, Claire was teaching Misty how to make empanadillas and asopao, when there was a knock to the door. 

“You expecting someone?” Misty asked, raising her eyebrows. 

“No, not really…” Claire said, shaking her head, turning the heat low on the stove so the gumbo could simmer. “But...it couldn’t be…” She bit her lip, giving Misty a meaningful glance. 

Misty immediately understood, taking a sharp breath. “Either way, we have to open that door.” She wiped the dough off her hands quickly and lead the way to the door. Claire leaned over her to glance at the peephole and she nodded, giving Misty permission to open the door. 

Luke grinned as the door opened, expecting Claire, then his smile fading into a surprised expression at the sight of Misty. “Well...this is unexpected. I didn’t know you two hung out. I mean, not that that’s a bad thing, I’ve just been out of the loop and all...” 

Claire lunged forward and grabbed Luke by the shoulders, pulling him into a fierce kiss, tears cascading down her cheeks. Misty ducked her head with a smile as Luke wrapped his strong arms around the smaller woman. When they finally separated, Misty reached up to hug Luke, heart skipping a beat at the feel of his warm body against hers. 

“Uh, come in,” Claire said hurriedly, and they all settled down on Claire’s old, comfy couch. Claire on the left, Misty on the right, and Luke in the middle. It felt surreal but also oh so right that they were together like this, the three of them felt a certain completeness that they didn’t question. “I can’t believe you’re here right now, this is crazy” she said. “Foggy didn’t tell me anything. Just that you were going to court. I didn’t think it would go that fast.” 

“Neither did I,” Luke said, shrugging. “Foggy’s a miracle worker. He told me I was free to go, with time served, and even dropped me off here. I’m still...taking it all in. But you two….you are really a sight for sore eyes.” He took both their hands and squeezed them. “Thank you...for all that you’ve done for me. I wish I could give back just as much, and more.” 

Misty rolled her eyes and patted the hand holding her own. “Don’t start that now. We’re just glad you’re out and that you’re safe and healthy.” Claire nodded in agreement. They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, just enjoying each other’s presence. 

“What’s that wonderful smell?” Luke asked. “Now I know I’m not in prison, cause the food there does not smell like this.” 

Misty grinned. “Claire was teaching me a few things about her favorite food from her home country, Puerto Rico.” 

“You know how to cook?” Luke asked, then laughed when Misty smacked him on the arm. 

“She’s a fast learner,” Claire said teasingly. “But that reminds me, I should check on the asopao. Misty, you can finish preparing the empanadillas and put them in the oven.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Misty said, with a mock salute. 

Luke trailed after them, leaning on the kitchen doorway as he watched them prepare the food. Something had changed between them. They looked more comfortable around each other, teasing and bantering like they were old friends, and there was an intimate air around them. Or maybe he was gone for so long, that he just felt disconnected from them and was reading the situation all wrong. But it didn’t feel that way, despite the distance and lack of communication, he felt closer to them than before. They’ve been through so much together and time apart couldn’t change that. It definitely couldn’t change the way he felt, and he definitely felt something for the both of them. He realized that now as he watched them in the kitchen. He loved these two women and would do anything for them. God help him. The question was, how was he going to let them know? 

“Hey,” Misty said, snapping Luke out of his thoughts and pushing plates and utensils into his arms. “Set the table. You gotta contribute something if you want to eat.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Luke said, copying her salute from before. He grinned when she threw the finger at him. As he set the table, he went over the words he would say to them, wanting to convey his feelings perfectly. 

After filling their stomachs and catching up in between mouthfuls, the three relaxed in their chairs, comfortable silence once again filling the room. 

Claire and Misty shared a glance from across the table then looked at Luke. “So..” “We..” They looked at each other and chuckled. Claire spoke again with a nudge. “We both like you, Luke. No, actually, we love you. And we love each other. I know they say, three’s a crowd but...after everything….I think we can make this work.” 

Misty nodded in agreement. “As long as we are together, we can make us work. But that’s if you want there to be an us.” 

“Sweet Christmas,” Luke said after a moment of silence, his eyes shining wondrously. “Well, you beat me to it. I had a whole speech prepared and everything.” 

Misty laughed. “We knew you would say that.” 

“Am I that predictable?” Luke asked, with a sheepish grin. 

“Yes, but we love you anyway,” Claire answered, taking his hand and entwining their fingers. Misty blushed but did the same. Luke looked to the right and to the left of him in awe that this was really happening. 

“I love you too,” he said, emotion lacing his voice. 

\---

If you had talked to Luke before Foggy’s visit and asked him where he thought he would be in a couple days’ time, he would probably have gone through a thousand different scenarios before he even got close to what really happened.

Then again, not even in his wildest dreams he would ever have hoped that both of those amazing women would fall in love with him, and with each other, let alone would have fought for him for all that long.

Luke wouldn’t deny that he liked Misty from the first time he saw her. Not loved her, not that soon, not until it was almost too late, but liked her more than he expected to, liked her enough that he hoped that could develop into something real, despite how bad the timing was for him, for both of them. On some level, they had an instant connection that wasn’t deep enough to be about real feelings, but was far deeper than just the sex, just the physical attraction that was too strong to be ignored.

The thing was, it seemed like their time had passed before it had come. Too much got in the way, too many complications before they could turn what they started into something real. It seemed as if they were destined to be a near miss. Forever a what-if coated in what could have been. Each other’s ‘the one that got away’. It wasn’t even worth lingering on that thought for too long, or else he would be trapped in it.

He knew he was falling in love with her long after their moment had seemingly passed, but it was easier to ignore his own feelings. There was too much happening with his late wife’s memory and his newly found half-brother for him to focus on a love that seemed doomed from the start, and later, it seemed like it would be dishonest to Claire, or maybe dishonest to both of them.

With Claire, things were slower and faster all at once. He couldn’t remember the moment he fell for her, although he was sure it wasn’t love at the first sight. And he doubted Claire would question that, since the first time she saw him he was in a coma after trying to kill an ex-lover under someone else’s control. That sure was one hell of a trip, and not the best way to go about meeting someone.

Still, despite everything, from their complicated first meeting to Claire moving regions in an attempt to leave the chaos her life had become behind, their connection soon became undenyable. Neither one of them was looking for something there, but they still found it.

Luke loved them both, and for the longest time, he felt guilty for it. It seemed dishonest to care about two women. Of course, all he needed was for someone to point out to him that the dishonesty could only exist in the lie, not in his true feelings. Caring about both of them, loving both of them even, was the most honest thing he could do, the truest to his heart. It would only be dishonest if he were to lie about this, and he could never do this, he could never trick them or cheat on them.

And because they both loved him, and they both loved each other, there was no need to chose, he could love both of them freely, let go of any guilt and be true to his heart.

It was the best possible outcome, and one that he didn’t even know was possible.

It was really lucky of him that he happened to fall in love which such brilliant women, and that they found a solution for their feelings all by themselves.

\---

Their time together was a momentary reprieve. A hero’s work would truly never end. But for now, Luke, Misty, and Claire could enjoy the presence of each other’s company. It was awkward at first but the three of them soon fell into a natural and comfortable balance, working their schedules and lives around each other. 

He enjoyed the times when he could hold them close and show them how much he loved them the most. He was always pleasantly surprised by their eagerness to do the same to him. 

If there was one thing he was weak for and could never refuse, it was the two women he loved. 

Their first night together was nothing short of magical. The tension was electric as they stripped each other down, grabbing and kissing every bit of skin they could, hungry for each other. Whether it was Luke kissing Claire, Claire kissing Misty, Misty kissing Luke, no one felt left out, they felt more united than ever. 

As they each had their fair share of each other’s mouth, Claire and Misty shared a look that Luke couldn’t read.“What are you two..?” The question was kissed out of him and he was led onto his back. 

“Just let us handle it, big boy,” Claire purred. 

Luke groaned as Claire slid down and kissed the tip of his cock, pushing himself up so he could watch but then a hand on his shoulder pushed him back down. 

“I know something that can keep you busy,” Misty said with a smirk. As she straddled his head, Luke licked his lips and stuck his tongue out, letting the woman ride his face as she pleased. “Fuck, that tongue of yours,” she moaned. “Fucking dangerous.” He was pretty sure the two women above him were the dangerous ones. 

It was all he could do to not come in Claire’s mouth when she swallowed him down, and combined with Misty’s scent and juices, he felt weak. He felt truly powerless under them. He had no control, he gave that control up to them. 

“I’m--!” He cursed as he felt his cock squeezed tightly, the pain interrupting his orgasm. 

“Sorry, baby, not yet,” Claire said, not sounding apologetic in the slightest. “Misty, if could be a dear, grab the condoms and lube then turn around.” The bed creaked as they moved. Claire was now on her hands and knees, pressing light kisses on Luke’s cock, her pussy exposed to Misty. Luke’s sight was now hindered by the view of Misty’s gorgeous ass. 

“Don’t worry,” Misty said, twisting to grin down at him. “Im not done with you yet.” Her dripping pussy was once again placed under his loving care. Even if he couldn’t see, he could hear Claire’s own moans and Misty’s giggles as she most likely opened up Claire. His cock twitched at that, Misty was opening Claire up for him. Fuck, he was the luckiest guy in the world. 

“I love how you taste,” Misty murmured. She laid her tongue flat, licking up Claire’s cunt to kiss and suck on her clit. Her nimble fingers and a generous amount of lube took care of her soft insides. 

“Wish I could taste you,” Claire gasped as Misty made her come and lapped at her through her orgasm. “I’m a bit jealous of Luke. How does she taste, big boy?” Luke just groaned as she swallowed down his cock once more. 

“I think he said I taste delicious,” Misty laughed. She shivered and dug her hips down as Luke shoved his tongue up her cunt, her body shaking as she came onto his face and mouth. “Mmm, think he’s ready for you now, Claire.” She kissed the small of Claire’s back. 

“So impatient,” Claire said. Luke tensed as she rolled the condom on him and poured an extra amount of lube. It was all he could to not buck up into Claire as she slid down on his cock, her heat swallowing his cock. “..Phew...okay, baby, don’t move...Just let me do all the work.”   
Misty lifted herself off of Luke’s face so they could both watch Claire ride him, curling up against him to lick his mouth clean. Even while she gave his nipples some attention, tweaking them with her fingers, her gaze did not leave Claire’s body. The two of them were mesmerized at the way Claire moved and Claire revelled under the attention, putting on a show for her two lovers. 

She cupped her breasts, rubbing and pulling at her nipples. “It’s time for the audience to join the show,” Claire whined. “Touch me, please!” They jumped into action at the order. Misty took over for Claire, sucking the nipple of one of her breasts and fondling the other. She moaned as Claire’s hand reached down to rub her clit. Luke captured Claire’s mouth in a passionate kiss, only needing one of his thumbs to rub Claire into completion. 

The trio rode their high as one as they came within seconds of each other. 

“Mmm, that was….” Misty sighed. 

“Amazing,” Claire finished.

Luke chuckled. “Yeah. Amazing.” He kissed their lips and foreheads sweetly, invoking his love as much as he could in each action. He lifted Claire off of him, tying the condom and throwing it away. 

“So..cuddle or shower?” Misty asked. 

“As much as I would love to, I don’t think we can all fit into Claire’s shower,” Luke said as he climbed back onto the bed, Claire snuggling up to his side. 

“Oh ye of little faith,” Claire said teasingly. 

“Cuddling it is then.” Misty fell on top of them, inciting shrieks and laughter from Claire and Luke, respectively. 

\---

Their first time together was like a dream, but all dreams had to end. The world wouldn’t stop spinning because they were suddenly in love. People would still get sick, crimes would still be committed, and sometimes, the kind of criminal that the police can’t stop would be behind them. Even though Luke was just back, all three of them had responsibilities that couldn’t be ignored.

At least, not for too long.

But after all they’ve been through, who would argue that they all needed a break? It was with very little guilt that a couple of vacation days were used, just enough for an extended weekend, a romantic getaway that didn’t involve any getting away, or even leaving the apartment really, unless receiving take-out or going to the corner store counted. It was something of a honeymoon, although they wouldn’t be thinking about this level of commitment just yet, perhaps in a few years.

For just a little while, they could pretend like responsibilities didn’t matter. Turn off their phones as if that would keep trouble from finding them if it really wanted it. Don’t care about the time or their jobs - or Luke’s current lack of a job - or even money. Extend the dream just a little longer, just to see how far this thing could go, just to know if things could really work as they had envisioned.

\---

But it still had to come to an end, at least the seclusion part did. Claire still had to go back to the hospital. Misty still had to go back to the station. And Luke still had to decide what he wanted to do when he wasn’t being shot at while trying to save other people.

He didn’t know for how long he would want to keep it, or for how long he could keep it without being more of a liability than an asset, but he reopened the barbershop. Kids needed a place to go where they wouldn’t get in trouble, and for a while, his reputation for fighting crime could help with that. It was something to give him purpose without violence, away from the violence, helping people another away, but being a hero just the same, even though he wouldn’t admit it.

Things weren’t easy, they could never be easy with his past, and both Claire and Misty had their fair share of being a trouble magnet to really hope for an easy and peaceful life. But they were good. The three of them were better together, happier together, and nothing would ever make them give that up.

So Luke still fought crime when he had to. Which mostly meant rescuing kids from gangs and making sure they had other choices in life. And Misty was still concerned with both the legality and the morality of those actions, and what she should do when the answers to both those questions were contradictory. And Claire was still worried sick that he would somehow get himself killed when his powers couldn’t handle all that was thrown at him.

No, it wasn’t easy. And it was harder when they had two people to worry about. And it was easier when they had someone to worry with them. And no matter what, they always came back to each other.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [ART - Triptych](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14220624) by [paynesgrey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/paynesgrey/pseuds/paynesgrey)




End file.
